How new legislation is transforming electric heating
Written by Tim Greenhalgh
Posted on July 12, 2017
New EU legislation is transforming the electric heating sector with cost-saving benefits for the business and domestic consumer.
A section of the Energy Related Products Directive (ErP) known as Lot 20 addresses the electric space heating industry and is focused on major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. All products in the sector will need to meet a set of minimum requirements from January 1st 2018.
Lot 20 (EU 2015/1188) means that heaters which do not comply with criteria cannot be sold in the EU member states.
Good news for SaveMoneyCutCarbon customers is that our range of heating solutions will be fully compliant. Even better, the heaters from Herschel will be classed as “Best Available”, according to Lot 20 regulations.
The ErP is part of the EU’s 20-20-20 targets on climate change and energy to ensure:
- A 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels.
- Raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources to 20%
- A 20% improvement in the EU’s energy efficiency
While the greater focus is on environmental benefits, the EU is determined that the new regulations will help consumers to cut their utility bills through lower energy usage from more effective heating.
No cost increases
What makes Lot 20 quite unique is that it insists on a reduction in energy consumption and emissions of space heating products but with no increase in purchasing and operating costs.
That challenge is met by requiring manufacturers to use current technologies in smart ways, incorporating cost-effective and efficient control functions into their products.
For the space heating sector, these smart solutions can range from temperature control with timers, open window detection, adaptive start control, to presence detection and distance control, for example.
All enclosed indoor heater types have a baseline “seasonal space heating efficiency” figure of 30% and are required to meet a higher target to become compliant.
Lot 20 metrics assume that electric heaters are nominally 100% efficient but a supply chain coefficient divides this by 2.5 with a further 10% reduction of 10% for all local space heaters to produce 30%.
Adding controls
The range of targets are met or exceeded by adding controls that ensure greater efficiency and by exceeding them, heaters can be classed as “Best Available”. Herschel far infrared solutions exceed the 38% target.
Lot 20 regulations take care to ensure that each type of electric heating solution is measured and assessed on its own merits. It does not explicitly favour one type of technology over another. Each type must provide the enhanced controls that will deliver the required efficiency improvements.
But the regulations do highlight which heating technologies need the most work to bring them up to efficiency standards, with the inefficiency of storage heaters flagged by the need for the most advanced controls.
In contrast, far infrared heaters have the lowest requirement for advanced controls. Lot 20 is clear that external control systems are an effective means of reducing energy use efficiently and these do not have to be integrated into the heater products.
Energy savings
The Herschel infrared heater solutions that SaveMoneyCutCarbon provide and which are governed by Lot 20 regulations will be supplied with IQ system controls that guarantee compliance with energy savings while ensuring no compromise on the style and mounting options of the panels.
The IQ system features electronic room temperature control with week timer, open window technology and adaptive start functions.
The combination of far infrared heaters with an external control system not only ensures compliance but also easy installation, while being user friendly and cost-effective.
Far Infrared heaters are more energy efficient as they heat the thermal mass of properties, not the air.
Lot 20 and other elements of the ErP will be enforced by the National Measurement Office, which will conduct product tests with market scrutiny. Installers and manufacturers could face legal action and even criminal prosecution if they fail to meet standards.